Caseflow Management in Juvenile Dependency Cases Involving Foster Care

Description

The goal of this workshop is to improve the juvenile justice system's ability to conclude dependency cases involving foster care and shorten the time before a child reaches appropriate permanent placement. The workshop is based on the National Curriculum for Caseflow Management in Juvenile Dependency Cases Involving Foster Care that was developed by JMI for Fostering Results. The curriculum development was underwritten by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts to Fostering Results. The format involves plenary presentations and facilitated team sessions built around exercises leading to development of an improvement plan. The attendees would be multi-disciplinary interagency teams from local juvenile dependency courts. At the sessions the team would identify common problems and develop an improvement plan at the workshop, which they finish and implement after returning home. Active management of the time between court events results in more effective and efficient use of limited court, agency, and attorney resources, as well as improving outcomes for children.

JMI's Experience with this Curriculum

JMI has presented four versions of this curriculum: a one day version for the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy, a one-and-one-half day version for individual courts in Ohio sponsored by the Ohio AOC, a two day versions for courts in Arizona and Missuori, and the full two-and-one-half day version for individual courts that was pilot tested in Arizona by the Arizona AOC and funded in part by a local foundation. All four versions were presented for multi disciplinary interagency teams of judges, court staff, and other system stakeholders. A learning objective-based evaluation instrument was prepared for this program.

Adapting the Curriculum for Your Jurisdiction

The core curriculum, including materials and exercises, is already developed. In order to adapt the curriculum to your laws, policies, and practices JMI suggests working with a committee containing representatives of the sponsoring organization and likely attendees who can assist modifying the plenary sessions and exercises to the needs, issues, and nomenclature of your jurisdiction. JMI has faculty and facilitators available to present the curriculum or can use local facilitators trained by JMI.

Presentation Options

The curriculum can be presented at several lengths. Optimally the 2.5 day program uses a panel on the second morning of the program composed of a judge, an administrator, a lawyer, and a protective services agency representative who present on their experiences and act as small group facilitators. Shorter versions of the curriculum can be presented without the panel. In addition half day and two hour sessions focusing on Caseflow Management for Juvenile Dependency Cases could also be presented at a statewide judiciary or association meeting.

Contact

Elaine Nugent-Borakove at enugent (at) jmijustice.org